I do not print follow-up feedback to letters; it’s just something I choose not to do. I’m making an exception today because the volume of response was so enormous to a particular letter that I realized many people might be interested. (The only other time I got such a torrent of mail about a letter was when I was Dear Prudence at Slate and ran a letter about handicapped toilets.) I didn’t think the letter writer’s problem we are talking about today was all that common, but apparently I was wrong.
The letter that brought the deluge was from a man who had a job requiring him to be on his feet all day, which was hell on his legs. He got the idea that pantyhose might help and wondered what brands would be the best fit for his waist and groin. He also didn’t know how to prevent them from “making noise.” Previously, I had imagined that the only men who wore pantyhose were transvestites. Wrong. Here’s a sample of the mail I received.
“I have a friend who, as a Marine, spent a great deal of time in Panama and such places where mosquitoes are everywhere. Marines, he tells me, wear pantyhose because the mosquitoes can’t bite through them.”
“The best support — even better than pantyhose — is tights! Capezio makes a line called Hold and Stretch, and — big bonus — dance tights come in men’s sizes, too!”
“Margo, your suggestion for better shoes was right on. And there is another solution to leg support that does not require a man to wear pantyhose: compression stockings or socks. The kind my husband uses are made by Jobst and are available at medical supply stores and many drugstores. They are knee-high and therefore wouldn’t make any strange noises. P.S.: These are also good for air travel or long car trips, as they prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT).”
“Though I’m no medical professional, I wonder if doing various leg and foot exercises during his working day would help.”
“Walgreen’s carries a good selection of support hose especially for men. They’re in the health section. They are thicker than regular hose and offer much better support. Walmart carries some support hose, but not a large selection. They have what I want, luckily, and at a much cheaper price.”
And while we’re at it, I might as well throw in one wonderful response to the letter from a man who had to take time off from his job to do a turn in a psychiatric hospital. Before he returned to work, he was wondering how to deal with his temporary residence. (His co-workers knew of his whereabouts.) I suggested that the light touch with perhaps a dash of humor would serve him well. I got this wonderful note from someone who had been in this situation and handled it with humor:
“I had a similar experience where my cheese slipped off the cracker and I spent some time at the funny farm. Actually, it wasn’t that bad, pretty peaceful. This vacation was well known by the people I worked with. After getting better, I returned to work, and on my first day back, I walked into the office carrying a butterfly net.”
Now that’s my kind of guy.
Dear Margo is written by Margo Howard, Ann Landers’ daughter. All letters must be sent via e-mail to dearmargo@creators.com. Due to a high volume of e-mail, not all letters will be answered.
COPYRIGHT 2011 MARGO HOWARD
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